Issue 9

Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine Spring 2003

In this Issue:
Jo Burt Interview
Mountain Bike Shoes Group Test
Nant Yr Arian Route Guides
Yukon

Cover photo: Lance Voyles rides Arizona’s South Mountain Park. By Sterling Lorence.
Contents photo: Rob Hamilton-Smith riding Betws-y-Coed. By Ben Haworth.
Spineline: Never underestimate the inspirational power of sunshine…

Issue 9: Editorial

Chipps thinks about what makes biking memorable and looks ahead to the coming summer months

Yukon

Mitchell Scott and John Gibson travel to the edge of the Arctic wilderness and meet up with some locals to ride it and get some advice about bears.

Gallery

Andy McCandlish offers a selection of photos from Scotland and the Alps.

Industry Insider

Jo Burt attended the Norwich School of Art and went on to create a famous mountain biking cartoon character. He bought a mountain bike not long after they first started to trickle into the UK from the USA and has been riding them ever since. Singletrack’s interview lets Jo speak his mind on a number of bike-related issues.

Singleminded

Dom Perry doesn’t waste time playing in the rare southern snow.

Column One

Piers Barber is in trouble. His other-half’s back early and he’s been caught at it.

Bike Test

A very expensive exotic, A new kid on the block and a legend. Three steel hardtail bikes:

  • Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe
  • Cotic Soul
  • Kona Explosif

Long Term Tests

Feedback on a number of components and other kit thats been under test for quite some time. This issue reviews:

  • Storm Shield Sleeping Bag
  • Petzl Tikka
  • Endura Escalante Jacket
  • Time Z-Control Pedals
  • Motorex Wet Lube
  • Specialized Chamonix Helmet
  • Manitou Skareb Super Air Fork
  • Specialized Speed Zone 5.0 Elite Computer
  • iRule Taupo Long Sleeve Jersey
  • Lumicycle HID Light
  • Endura Windtex Jacket

Mountain Catharsis

Andy McKenna tells the tale of night riding in the Scottish Highlands around Glencoe, in winter only to get back to the pub after closing time.

Column Two

Jon Wyatt reckons the reason mountain biking is so good is because it gets you covered in crap.

Gallery

Some beautiful pictures of the beautiful North from Ben Haworth.

Retro Dictionary

Remember Tioga T-Bones? Philip and Andrew Diprose have compiled a guide to classic bikes, kit and people in the world of Mountain Bikes.

Bike Porn

Lightweight XC full suspension exotica: The Cannondale Scalpel

Grouptest

Mountain bike shoes under scrutiny:

  • Nike Womens Kato
  • Nike Carnerso
  • Nike YVR
  • Pearl Izumi Vagabond
  • Scott Trail
  • Scott Team
  • Shimano M082W
  • Shimano M037
  • Shimano M152
  • Specialized Sonoma
  • Specialized Sonoma Womens
  • Specialized Pro Mountain

Fish Out of Water

Steve Makin takes the role that will make a lot of people very jealous, he gets to spend the day as an editorial assistant of Bath-based magazine MBUK and manages to draw blood.

Living the Life

Homage to Patagonia is the title for Dan Carsons account of riding from the the tip of South America and heading north through Peru.

Routes

Nant Yr Arian – Home to some of Mountain Bike Wales’ marketed riding, there’s also some real wildernesss riding available too. Two routes described as well as crucial information on what services and ammenities are in the area when you arrive:

  • Medium 24.56km (15.26 miles), no timescale given
  • Expert 31.39km (19.50 miles), no timescale given

The Clogged Crusader

Jeremy Atkinson is reponsible for a network of cleared, graded and way marked trails around Kington on the Welsh border. Mark found out more about the man behind roughrides.

The Armchair Story

The Stag Hunters: Steve Makin recounts the ride that RHS and friends used to celebrate his last weekend as a free man.

Singletrackworld Goodies

Details of all the merchandise that Singletrack now has on offer.

Singletrackworld.com Roundup

A brief look at the highlights from the magazines daily website over the last few months.

Outro

Photos and captions from the Singletrack editorial team.